Who is Theodore Ssekikubo?
Aug 04, 2010
LWEMIYAGA MP Theodore Ssekikubo’s arrest on Monday over the violence that disrupted the NRM elections in Ssembabule district was just the latest in a string of incidents he has been involved in throughout his not-so-long political career.
By Joshua Kato
LWEMIYAGA MP Theodore Ssekikubo’s arrest on Monday over the violence that disrupted the NRM elections in Ssembabule district was just the latest in a string of incidents he has been involved in throughout his not-so-long political career.
During the 2006 elections, he was accused by some people in Lwemiyaga of pulling out a gun against voters, supposedly supporting Sam Kutesa. The case was not taken further.
Last year, an LC1 official in Ssembabule, Asuman Kyakatende, accused Ssekikubo of drawing a pistol at him.
In Ssembabule district, Ssekikubo is the defacto head of an NRM faction that is tussling it out with another faction headed by Kutesa.
The others in Ssekikubo’s faction include the district LC5 chairman, Herman Ssentongo and former Woman MP candidate Joy Kabatsi, the legal advisor at State House.
While Ssentongo and Kabatsi are not so common in conflicts, Ssekikubo represents them tenfold!
In Ssembabule, for example, he is not just involved in fighting against Kutesa but also with other district leaders, including National Agricultural Advisory Services officials and the resident district commissioner (RDC).
During one of the President’s visits, he attacked them before him, saying: “Mr. President, your RDC needs to be very careful. You definitely know who Kabogorwa (the RDC) is. I will not let him confuse my people. I am unequivocal on that,†he said.
In a similar style, he accused Kutesa of ‘becoming involved in land grabbing in the district’.
The two had a verbal exchange until the President ordered them not to ‘put their dirty linen in public.’ Museveni invited them for reconciliation talks. However, the talks yielded nothing.
Unconfirmed reports say Ssekikubo is an “adopted child†at State House. On many occasions, he drives a vehicle with the UC registration used by the President’s office.
Some say it is his close link to the power house that gives him the energy to ‘shout’ at other officials who are higher than him in the party hierarchy.
Ssekikubo argues that he is ‘fighting’ against the undemocratic tendencies of the Kutesa group in Ssembabule: “They think that they are more NRM than others,†he says.
On the other hand, the Kutesa side says Ssekikubo’s group is actually not purely NRM, but only there for convenience.
In 2009, Ssekikubo was suspended from NRM over misconduct.
The indiscipline involved backing an independent candidate, Kabatsi, against the official NRM candidate, Anifa Kawooya, in the district Woman MP byelections.
However, Ssekikubo defied the suspension by the NRM secretary general, Amama Mbabazi and continued calling himself an NRM member.
Politicians grab opportunities to get coverage in the media, or to be seen by the powers that be.
But in Ssekikubo’s case, he does this by miles above the rest. Whoever monitored the proceedings of the committee of Parliament investigating the abuse of CHOGM funds must have thought that Ssekikubo was the chairman of the committee.
He was always firing difficult questions at the witnesses. However, the reality was that he was not even an original member of the committee. He had just been co-opted as the committee started its work.
Ssekikubo holds a masters degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from Makerere University. He is currently completing his second term as MP for Lwemiyaga.
A few years ago, he held a lavish wedding, but the marriage did not last.
LWEMIYAGA MP Theodore Ssekikubo’s arrest on Monday over the violence that disrupted the NRM elections in Ssembabule district was just the latest in a string of incidents he has been involved in throughout his not-so-long political career.
During the 2006 elections, he was accused by some people in Lwemiyaga of pulling out a gun against voters, supposedly supporting Sam Kutesa. The case was not taken further.
Last year, an LC1 official in Ssembabule, Asuman Kyakatende, accused Ssekikubo of drawing a pistol at him.
In Ssembabule district, Ssekikubo is the defacto head of an NRM faction that is tussling it out with another faction headed by Kutesa.
The others in Ssekikubo’s faction include the district LC5 chairman, Herman Ssentongo and former Woman MP candidate Joy Kabatsi, the legal advisor at State House.
While Ssentongo and Kabatsi are not so common in conflicts, Ssekikubo represents them tenfold!
In Ssembabule, for example, he is not just involved in fighting against Kutesa but also with other district leaders, including National Agricultural Advisory Services officials and the resident district commissioner (RDC).
During one of the President’s visits, he attacked them before him, saying: “Mr. President, your RDC needs to be very careful. You definitely know who Kabogorwa (the RDC) is. I will not let him confuse my people. I am unequivocal on that,†he said.
In a similar style, he accused Kutesa of ‘becoming involved in land grabbing in the district’.
The two had a verbal exchange until the President ordered them not to ‘put their dirty linen in public.’ Museveni invited them for reconciliation talks. However, the talks yielded nothing.
Unconfirmed reports say Ssekikubo is an “adopted child†at State House. On many occasions, he drives a vehicle with the UC registration used by the President’s office.
Some say it is his close link to the power house that gives him the energy to ‘shout’ at other officials who are higher than him in the party hierarchy.
Ssekikubo argues that he is ‘fighting’ against the undemocratic tendencies of the Kutesa group in Ssembabule: “They think that they are more NRM than others,†he says.
On the other hand, the Kutesa side says Ssekikubo’s group is actually not purely NRM, but only there for convenience.
In 2009, Ssekikubo was suspended from NRM over misconduct.
The indiscipline involved backing an independent candidate, Kabatsi, against the official NRM candidate, Anifa Kawooya, in the district Woman MP byelections.
However, Ssekikubo defied the suspension by the NRM secretary general, Amama Mbabazi and continued calling himself an NRM member.
Politicians grab opportunities to get coverage in the media, or to be seen by the powers that be.
But in Ssekikubo’s case, he does this by miles above the rest. Whoever monitored the proceedings of the committee of Parliament investigating the abuse of CHOGM funds must have thought that Ssekikubo was the chairman of the committee.
He was always firing difficult questions at the witnesses. However, the reality was that he was not even an original member of the committee. He had just been co-opted as the committee started its work.
Ssekikubo holds a masters degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from Makerere University. He is currently completing his second term as MP for Lwemiyaga.
A few years ago, he held a lavish wedding, but the marriage did not last.